The Bagsy Blog: 08/02/13

Friday, 2 August 2013

In Dreams - Roy Orbison

Something must be afoot as things go from bad to worse with the Moth Trap. Just 7 'macro' Moths last night despite having it away from any buildings or any other interfering light source. Anyroad, we can only turn it on and hope for the best as others, further west in the county, catch such beauties as Saltern Ear and Antler Moth. Indeed it was a very quiet day throughout, although the weather stayed bright with some decent sunny patches, but just as we decided to draw a line under it the unexpected turned up.

but firstly a return to yesterday and the

DREAM CATCHER.

I have NEVER shared one word of my vast memoir with anyone, not even nearest and dearest, but it was thought easier simply to copy a diary entry for the day my daughter Lisa and I spent in Nashville, Tennessee. This was part of a Coast to Coast adventure in the USA during the Spring of 1995, journeying by Greyhound Coach from New York to Los Angeles taking in small parts of Canada and Mexico en-route.

First stop was at what I would call an ethnic shop specialising in traditional North American Indian memorabilia. There were a thousand things I would love to have bought but the problem was getting them back home. Here we met a lovely Shoshone lady KIMANA (Butterfly) who was more than happy to talk to us and who noted my obvious interest in the 'dream catchers’. Before leaving UK I had bought one as a present for a friend, but was not totally sure of their origin, I was about to find out first hand. The lady told me that Indian children would have one made for them, individually, at birth and this would stay with them throughout life and be buried with them at the end of their days. During the persons lifetime it would be adorned with various sentimental items or just things that caught the eye such as feathers and beads. The story goes that a small child found a Spider in the tepee one day and not caring for its presence was about to squash it when stopped by the Grandmother. She quietly explained that Indians only kill what they need to sustain life and that all creatures were sacred telling the child to set it free. Now, as these fables go, this was no ordinary arachnid but one of 'magic' which thanked the old lady for her kindness and said it would do something in return. Creeping to the top of the tent, on reaching the 'smoke-hole' it spun a web across the circular outlet then told the woman of its magic powers. From now on you will all sleep in peace as the threads of the web will catch any bad dreams while letting the good dreams pass through the hole in the middle. The Dream Catcher is made of Willow which is bound with finely tanned animal skin, the web is made of 'gut' or other thread which is often dyed red. Small beads are threaded onto the web to represent 'bad dreams' which are burnt-off by the first rays of the morning sun. Leaving there our next stop was to be The Crazy Horse Saloon a huge pub selling beer brewed on the premises and playing some fine Blues.

Feathers from around the world are all that adorn mine, except for a NAZCA ARROWHEAD (right of centre) to which are tied the pinion feathers of a

GREY-BREASTED SEEDSNIPE

both found in Northern Chile. Unfortunately, the injured bird died
unlikely a 'road casualty' not up here in the Alto Plano.

Others include (at 2 'o' clock) Hoatzin primary, base of which points to Black Guan, the grey one below Galah, (10 'o' clock and 9 to 6 close to rim) Golden Eagle, (5 to 3 'o' clock with white patch) Madagascar Nightjar, (orange and pointed blue above) Scarlet Macaw, plus Helmeted Guineafowl at 1 'o' clock. The longest of all is Common Pheasant the only one I ever shot and ate.